Archive of ‘fast metabolism diet exercise’ category

How would you like to shape your body? With this Phase 1 perfect workout, which combines strength and cardio exercises, you will surely get fit and healthy at the same time.

Allow yourself to enjoy the summer

Summer shouldn’t be a one big all-you-can-eat buffet, especially if you have zero time for gym. But no worries! You won’t have to put on any additional pounds. In fact, you could actually lose a pound per week with these Fast Metabolism Diet Community easy-to-follow exercise steps.

Burn it off

You can do this intense workout with just about any open space. This routine has an 8-minute cardio alternate bouts with 6-minute strength sets for maximum burning of fats.

Do the Cardio Blast for every circuit workout, then go through the strength exercises twice with a 30-second break every after each move. Move to the next circuit.

Circuit 1

Cardio Blast: You can either go biking, running, or inline skating for about 5 minutes. Just don’t forget to increase your pacing from easy to moderate intensity, then increase to moderate pace for about 3 minutes.

Circle Hop Squat

Steps:

Stand with feet far apart and turned slightly outward.

Lift your chest, lower your body to form a squat and stretch arms to reach the ground.

Push into feet so that you could jump up as you turn to 180 degrees left while in the air then circle arms up and over from right to left at the same time.

Land lightly on the ground in a squatting position and facing the opposite direction, arms back towards the ground.

Repeat previous step, jumping to the right in a 180-degree angle as you move your arms in a circle from left to right. Alternate for 1 minute.

Diamond Push-Up

Steps:

Get your knees down and close together and do a modified push-up position.

Using your fingers, form an imaginary diamond shape and place it directly under your chest, and arms straight straight but don’t lock your elbows.

Bend your elbows so that they are placed at the sides of your torso and point slightly backward while lowering your chest toward the ground.

Press your palms against the ground and carry your body to come back up; repeat for 1 minute.

Alternative: You could also place your hands directly under your shoulders.

Circuit 2

Cardio Blast: Done by alternating 2 minutes moderate intensity with 2 minutes high intensity for a total of 8 minutes.

Core Leg Drop

Steps:

Lie on your back with legs straight up and raised in a 90-degrees angle.

Clasp your hands and reach forward while lifting head and shoulder blades.

With left leg kept in initial position, bring right leg straight down, crunch up, and bring hands down to slightly touch the left thigh.

Circuit 4

Cardio Blast: An 8-minute high-intensity workout

Reverse Diagonal Lunge Roll

Steps:

Stand straight with feet kept close together and arms at both sides of the body.

Maintaining right leg straight, move left foot back in a diagonal position and knee bent to the left in a 90-degrees angle to form a lunging position; touch ground by inside of left foot with right hand.

Push left leg and return to starting position all the while lifting right arm to roll shoulder backwards.

Repeat steps on opposite side and alternate for 1 minute.

Alternative: Instead of a diagonal way, execute lateral lunges out to the side.

Plank Hop

Steps:

Pause in the “up” part of push-up; hands allowed to suspend below shoulders and body in straight line.

Lower hips a bit, then lift them as you push into hands and feet while hopping your feet (and hands, if possible) to the left side, gently landing with elbows slightly bent.

Repeat hopping right and continue to take turns.

Alternative: Instead of hopping, you can walk feet from side to side.

Exercising can also be a fun and exciting activity especially if your goal is to become fit and feel better about yourself. It becomes even more special if you do it with your friends or loved ones. So don’t afraid to make that big leap of your life to lose weight and become a better version of yourself.

The poses in Hatha Yoga has been considered as a preparatory for yoga itself. From the root words “ha” which means sun and “ta” for moon, “Hatha” means the balance of properties of sun and moon inside you. It is also done to prepare the body for a higher possibility and is one of the exercises included in Phase 3 of our Fast Metabolism Program. Here’s how the poses in Hatha Yoga are done:

Mountain Pose

On a mat, make a Mountain Pose then inhale and exhale deeply for three times.

Stand tall and straight with both feet brought close together and shoulders relaxed.

Inhale in a normal pace while arms are being raised beyond the head and pointing towards the sky and shoulders maintained in a relaxed position.

Gently stretch the body to the left side while exhaling. Inhale in a manner drawing back body to the center and stretch to the right while exhaling.

Forward Fold

Stand on your mat, hip-width apart. As you inhale, extend your spine and then exhale and bend at the hips as you fold forward letting your arms, head, and neck hang towards the ground.

Breathe three to five times to allow relaxation to the body. Keep the knees bending slightly and imagine spine lengthening.

Low Lunge (Right Side)

Step left foot backwards and release your knee towards the ground and place both hands, palms facing on the ground to support the body.

Right knee should be aligned along the right ankle.

As you inhale, try to lift up tall and lengthen through the crown of the head. Sink forward as you exhale so that hips are released towards the ground.

Arms should rest on the ground in a comfortable position, placed on the hips, or raised towards the sky.

Take three to five breaths.

Downward-Facing Dog

Draw back to the ground on both or either side of your right foot if your hands are up.

Move the hands towards the front in a few inches to press into the mats.

Slightly bent the knees, and sitz bones reaching sky up.

Allow head hang freely and hold position while breathing three to five breaths.

Low Lunge (Left Side)

Inhale deeply as left leg is being risen towards the sky’s direction while reaching out the toes.

Put left foot forward passing in between hands

Bend right knee reaching the ground and dive hips towards the front and find Low Lunge on the left side.

Breath three to five times while holding same position.

Forward Fold

Lift right knee off the ground all the while taking deep inhale and gently pressing left foot so that right foot will be drawn forward.

Move torso forward in a relaxed manner to do the Forward Fold pose.

Mountain Pose

Stand still on both feet together, seeing to it that body weight is evenly distributed on both feet as you take a deep breath.

Raise hands above the head and positions both palms facing each other. Reach up toward the sky with your fingertips.

Exhale while releasing hands to either left or right side of the body, finding Mountain Pose once more.

Warrior II (Left Side)

Stand with right foot 3 or 4 feet apart from left foot and right toes turned in a parallel position to the backside of the mat.

Turn left toes in, bending 90 degrees in left knee and draw arms up parallel to the ground.

Glance over left fingertips to accomplish Warrior II pose.

Hold pose while making three to five breaths.

Reverse Warrior (Left Side)

From Warrior II, inhale at the same drop right hand down to touch right leg. Raise your left hand up to the sky.

Reach back using left hand so that body is stretch out the front of the body.

Warrior II (Right Side)

Stretch and straighten both legs as arms are drawn back parallel to the ground.

Turn right toes so that it faces the front side of mat. Exhale while bending right knee and settle into Warrior II on the right side of the body’s torso.

Glance right fingertips and hold pose for three to five deep breaths.

Reverse Warrior (Right Side)

Continuing from Warrior II pose, inhale while drawing right arm to the ceiling to do the Reverse Warrior pose on the right side of the body.

Lightly step left foot to the front of the mat, meeting the right foot while releasing arms to settle on either side of the body.

Tree Pose

Stand with arms at both sides of the body. Standing straight, find balance of the body with the right foot while placing left foot on the ankle, calf, or thigh.

FInd a place for concentration as both hands are raised above pointing towards the sky.

Hold pose for three to five breaths.

Try engaging the stomach into the pose and wave arms gently back and forth.

Once finished, release left foot slowly to the ground and repeat Tree Pose on the other side.

Mountain Pose

Going back to Mountain Pose, place both in a distance aligning the hip, hands together, palms facing each other in a praying position in front of chest.

Take a deep breath as body reaches tall through the crown of the head. Close your eyes and relax the body

Bikram yoga is similar to regular yoga but the only difference is that it is usually done in a heated room. This kind of yoga has 26 Hatha yoga poses which every individual can try out for Phase 3 exercises. The benefits of the poses in the Bikram yoga is the increase in the strength and flexibility of the body over time. It is also good for the stimulation of the organs, nerves, glands, and smoothing of oxygen flow throughout the body. Here are the steps to do the Bikram Yoga:

Standing Deep Breathing pose (Pranayama)

Stand straight and legs together while ensuring spine properly erected. Fingers interlocked and placed along the arc of the neck and under the chin.

Keep elbows together. When inhaling, pull arms up while wrist touches the ears lightly and head kept straight.

Tilt head back and allow hands follow the head’s movements all the exhaling deeply and slowly.

Stand straight with both feet kept together. Raise arms above the head and clasp hands together.

Move right leg about two to three feet to the right. Also, turn the right foot to the right side.

Lower head so that chin points down the chest. Bend torso to reach the right leg until the head reaches and touches the right knee. Keep legs and hands straight while executing this pose.

Hold the pose.

Repeat on the other side of the body.

Tree Pose (Tadasana)

Stand straight with feet placed together. Keep arms along the sides of your body. Do a mudra prayer with palms put together in front of the chest.

Lift right foot then bend so that sole of the right touches lower pelvis region.

Straighten your shoulders as well as your left leg.

Hold the pose.

Toe Stand Pose (Padangustasana)

Stand straight with arms on both sides of the body.

Bend left leg down. Bend right knee to reach the chest. Put right foot and rest on left knee facing the sole of the right foot upwards.

Bring buttocks on the heel of the left foot to rest. Make sure that the thigh of the left leg is straight with the ground.

Put hands together and form a prayer mudra, placing them in front of the chest.

Hold pose.

Dead Body Pose (Savasana)

Lie down on your back and move legs slightly parted ways.

Position arms along both sides of the body with palms facing upwards.

Close your eyes and relax the body. Breathe deeply through the nose. Relax the body imagining the relaxation creeps from head to toe every breathe.

Hold the pose till completely relaxed.

Savana is a meant to be a pose for the body to relax. After that, drink some water and get ready for another 13 sets of poses that are challenging enough for the stamina.

Wind-Removing Pose (Pavanamuktasana)

Lie down on your back with feet together and arms on both sides of the body. Tightly hold the hands and then clasp them around the front side of the right knee. Move the right knee up the chest and exert a force downward pressing the thigh against the abdomen.

Keep neck and left leg straight. Square your shoulders.

Hold pose.

Bikram Yoga Sit-Up Pose (Padahastasana)

Sit down on your buttocks with both legs stretched out in front of the torso. Flex toes upward.

Leave arms hanging on each side of the torso while keeping back straight and both feet together.

Bend torso to reach both knees and place head on them. Grab toes with hands and flex arms at the elbows. Place them on the ground beside the calf muscles on both of the sides.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Lie down on your stomach. Bring toes together and placed on the floor, and arms placed on both along the sides of the torso.

Position palms to face the ground and place them both the sides near the chest and then gradually pressing onto the ground.

Apply pressure on both palms and then raise head, chest, and stomach towards the ceiling and off the ground. Bend arms a little at the elbows as you do this.

Square both shoulders and keep them on a level away from the ears.

Hold the pose.

Locust Pose (Salabhasana)

Lie down on your stomach while placing chin on the floor and heels touching each other.

Lift legs separately. Remove chin from the ground and place mouth on the ground.

Move legs together and then apply pressure on both hands. Raise both legs as together as one.

Hold the pose.

Full Locust Pose (Poorna Salabhasana)

Lie on the ground on your stomach. Stretch both arms at the sides with the palms facing the ground.

Keep legs together. Raise head, chest, and torso as well as arms in a flight position, stretching them outward, with palms facing downward still.

Lift legs above the ground.

Hold the pose.

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

Lie down on your stomach. Keep arms along both sides of the body. Place legs hip-width apart.

Stretch arms out while bending the knees and grabbing the ankles, lifting chest and legs off the floor. Apply pressure on your ankles while pulling your legs back using the hands. Look straight up and hold the pose.

One’s thinking plays a significant role in working out to lose weight. It has been proven that having interminable negative thoughts can also lead to negative diet behaviors such as taking a break from your diet, skipping your exercise routine and overeating. While positive thoughts, on the other hand, gives the exact opposite result and is bound to increase your energy and motivation level towards your diet regimen.

Most dieters often think that if they can just get their eating and exercise habits on track, they’ll lose weight effortlessly in no time and keep it off for good. But, what they often fail to realize is that their mental attitude plays a major role in determining their day to day physical actions.

Rather than forcing yourself to do something you don’t really want to do, practicing a positive attitude towards losing weight can make the process much easier! Develop the enthusiasm to stick to your weight loss regimen and make the process virtually effortless.

Here are few ways to practice positive behaviors:

1) Be clear on WHY you want to be fit

Why would you practice something without having a specific reason? So before making any exercise plan, ask these questions to yourself first.

“Why do I want to lose weight?”

Do you plan on losing weight to be skinny? Healthy? A bit of both? Get yourself clear about the reason you want to lose weight before jumping on doing any exercise.

“What will I gain by being slim and healthy?”

List all the possible benefits you want to achieve after you have successfully attained the body you always been wanting to have. You can read this list every day to keep you motivated.

Do not treat it as being on a “diet” program rather, treat is as a regimen towards achieving a better and healthier you. It does not only sound self-affirming but also eliminates restriction and deprivation.

2) Change your lifestyle

Do not treat it as being on a “diet” program rather, treat is as a regimen towards achieving a better and healthier you. It does not only sound self-affirming but also eliminates restriction and deprivation.

3)Be your own cheerleader

Always build yourself up at every possible opportunity and don’t talk down about yourself. Never rebuke yourself if you ate something you shouldn’t eat, and don’t engage in self-defeating attitude or thinking like, “Why would I even bother, I’ll never achieve that kind of body”. Instead, think like a cheerleader, “This is nothing and I can do this!” or “I will have a healthy and sexy body!”. You have to feel good about the changes that you are making. Inner talks like these are much more motivating rather than trying to push yourself into shape by force.

4) Look at yourself being happily slimSpend a few minutes in front of a mirror each day looking at a future healthy, slim and happy you. Though you can’t just imagine about it forever, it helps you keep track of your goal to be thin while having a high self-esteem. Think of – “What would my body feel like if I am fit and healthy?”. Focus on that thinking every now and then. Having the proper mindset will make the achievement of your goal seem more realistic and possible.

5) Appreciate the physical you

Think of the things you already like about your body may it be your eyes, hair, feet, legs. List the reasons why you love and appreciate them in a time of the day you find convenient and comfortable to have some quality time for yourself. This is way better than constantly noticing the aspects of your physique that you don’t like and you want to change.

6) Take your time

Having the mindset of hurrying too much to get things done for your body and immediately become thin is one the worst case scenarios of a weight loss exercise program. While doing that, you are constantly calling attention to the fact that losing weight is a long and dramatically impatient process and will only lead to you giving up on the goal that you set up to yourself. Instead, make time your friend. Instead, tell yourself that you have all the time in the world to lose weight and it is only a matter of time before you get the results that you want for your body. This kind of attitude will certainly relieve stress and pressure and allows you to be more focused on achieving your goals.

In the last blog post, we’ve discussed these 3 myths that held us back from exercising. We’ve witnessed first-hand how it delimit us from formulating an effective workout regimen.

Now that we’ve finally debunked these myths, we’re now going to tackle about the fun ways to actually enjoy and look forward to exercising. What are we waiting for? Let’s head on!

1. Make it a Habit

Sure, exercising is a difficult task. Even more so, if you need to stick with it for a couple of days every week. But, guess what? It’s only difficult if you think about it as a undesirable activity. So instead of thinking how exercise is exhausting your body, stop thinking about it and: JUST. DO. IT.

After a few weeks of working out, you’ll find yourself yearning to exercise without realizing it. Your body will gradually adapt to this new routine until it develops into a habit.

2. Find an Accountable Exercise Buddy

Exercising becomes easier if you have someone else checking up and exercising with you. After all, you wouldn’t want to break your promise and miss your appointment when your friend is waiting for you to show up on her doorstep, right? So, get up and start moving!

Having an accountable partner or support group will inspire you to keep moving forward to reach your goal. They will be there to lift you up when you’re feeling down and to remind you why living a healthy lifestyle is worth all the sacrifice you’ve made. Don’t give up! You’ve already come this far!

3. Turn the Exercise into an Exciting Game

Playing a game is never boring or exhausting for most of us, so why don’t you treat exercise like one? In fact, the term “exergaming” was invented for this unique but exciting activity.

One example of a fun exergaming is called Just Dance Video Game. It lets you hit a certain goal just by moving your body.You’re not only going to break some sweat and lose fats in the process, but you’ll have fun, that’s for sure.

4. Plug in your Earphones

There’s nothing more enjoyable than to listen to music when exercising. So start creating your perfect playlist as you start your morning workout. Or if you’re not fond of music, you can opt to listen to an audiobook and time flies by before you realize it.

Now that you’re finished reading this blog post, you’re in for our mini-game! This game is incredibly easy. You noticed how we’re still lacking one tip? Where’s the fifth tip, you say? That’s where you come in! Complete this blog post by posting your tip below. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Most of us undoubtedly frown in disgust whenever we hear the term exercise. We often see it like it’s some sort of punishment because we’re out of shape. You need to beat yourself into working out because you indulge yourself with unhealthy food cravings. You need to push yourself to the limit in order to lose weight to become acceptable to society. This kind of mindset has been instilled in our mind causing us to have a hostile attitude towards exercising.

The truth is, exercising should never be tiring and exhausting. It’s supposed to be enjoyable and fulfilling. You should never feel miserable or be obliged to do it just for the sake of losing weight. How do we encourage ourselves to have a positive attitude when it comes to exercising?

It’s time to debunk these workout mistakes and refresh our mindset to formulate an effective workout regimen.

1. Exercise Isn’t all About Cardio

This certainly tops the list of our workout mistakes. While Cardio offers a lot of health benefits and goodness to our body, cardio is only one part of exercising. Cardio can only improve one section in our body. It can help improve our speed, cardiovascular endurance. But it cannot improve our strength and bone density.

Instead, what we need is a mix of exercise. Just like in eating, we need to mix our exercise to address our body’s specific needs.

That’s why fast metabolism diet uses mixed exercises that you need to do every phase. This varying workout regimen will help improve different sections in your body in order to lose weight. You won’t need to push yourself doing cardio 5-6 times a week just to lose weight.

2. You need to stick in Running to lose weight.

This is actually in relation to number 1. We’re all led to believe that cardio is the only way to exercise and lose weight. And when we talk about cardio, the only thing that comes to our mind is running. We need to run like crazy until we’re out of breath to lose some weight. We often feel miserable when we’re panting like crazy, pushing ourselves to move, run harder, only to find out we’re left behind in a race while our friends are running swiftly. Frustrating isn’t it?

Why do you allow yourself to suffer like that? If you don’t like running, then don’t do it. Doing something you don’t love and enjoy will only stress you out. And remember? When you’re stressed, your body will withhold those fats rather than losing them! Wasting all your efforts in vain!

Instead of running, you can do other cardio exercises such as dancing, brisk walking, hiking, etc. The same as with strength-training and stress-reducing activities in Phase 2 and 3. The most important thing is to get your body moving shed those pesky pounds off your body.

3. Giving Up Exercising Because It’s Exhausting

Just like in yo-yo dieting, we’ve also had our fair share of yo-yo exercising moments. That incredible motivation we have before we start hitting the gym. Then after a 30-minute session of intense workout, you feel sore, and beyond exhausted. That’s when your motivation to keep going starts to diminish. Until you found yourself . . . dang! Quitting on exercising and starting this horrid cycle again for the nth time.

If you feel like quitting, remind yourself again why you’re doing this. You’re doing this to lose weight and be healthy. And of course, don’t forget to pat your back for a job well done. You’ve come this far, every step you take is a process. Do you really want to stop when you’re so near to achieving your goal? I bet you wouldn’t want that.

So stop committing these workout mistakes. We recommend you to keep going and don’t give up until you reach your goal. In our next blog post, we’ll tackle some ways on how to make exercising more fun and enjoyable!

Winter is fast approaching. It might not be the most comfortable time of the year because of the cold weather and the snow, but you need not worry. Everyone can get through this yearly, so it’s time to ditch last season’s habit, bring out those all-too-familiar coats and jackets, and get ready to warm up this winter. Most people prefer to stay indoors but there are times we need to go out despite the freezing condition. These are easy tips to stay warm during this cold season.

Keep moving. The best thing to do is keep moving around and do lots of physical activity. Your winter clothes help by trapping heat, but it is your body that keeps you warm. Moving a lot and working out helps your body generate more heat that helps you warm up; whenever you take a break, make it short and avoid cooling off. People with less body mass and fat can tend to get cold easily.

Eat more healthy fats. The freezing weather makes your body cold and it will need more fuel to keep you warm. Fat is like a slow-burning fuel. Eating snacks with healthy fats such as almonds and walnuts keep your body going for the rest of the day.

Hydrate yourself. During winter, aside from the coldness, you could face dry conditions in your area. This means you’ll dehydrate faster without even realizing it. You can get dehydrated even if you’re not sweating. Bring a thermos with your hot drink or drink water frequently. You can flavor it with fruits like lemon or strawberries for flavor.

Wear the right clothes. This is not the season to use your favorite cotton shirt. Wear clothing that has wool or jackets with insulating synthetics. Layer-up your clothes to keep you warm. Woolen or fleece hats and thick woolen socks can also help your body warm up and keep you dry.

At night close your curtains. Your windows help in letting in more radiant energy in the morning from the sunlight that enters your house. However, at night your windows can let extremely cold air into your house. To prevent heat loss, close your curtains and lower your blinds before it gets dark. They serve as an extra protection from heat loss and add insulation to your home.

So with these easy tips, you’ll surely stay warm during winter and learn to find joy and comfort in this cold season

With less than a month left before the start of the Fall, most of us are already anticipating the back to school season. But this doesn’t mean that FMDieters will get to skip the fun side of summer by letting it pass by just like that because they can still catch up last-minute vacation trips and travels this summer. If you are still planning your next trip, then read our top 5 tips to make your summer traveling healthy and memorable.

Summer Traveling Tips to Stay Fit and Healthy

1. Stay Active

Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean you’re unable to exercise. Grab the opportunity to travel around by walking, hiking, or sightseeing instead of riding a cab. Or you can do swimming instead renting a boat.

There are so many ways to stay active as you travel. Not only these physical activities will promote your well-being, but it will also let you admire the majestic sceneries and connect with nature on a personal level.

2. Stay Hydrated

It shouldn’t be difficult for you to keep hydrated since we’re already applying this rule in this diet plan. However, just to be assured, double up your water intake this Summer season. The sun can be unbearably hot during Summer, making you feel more drained than usual.

It’s important to keep yourself hydrated in order for your body to function and absorb the nutrients properly. You can also opt to drink smoothies and pair it with watery fruits like watermelons, mangoes, and pineapples that can help hydrate your body.

3. Bring Snacks with You

In order to reduce the chances of binge-eating, we recommend you pack snacks with you. Pack for fresh or frozen fruits like blueberries, apples, oranges in your bag for Phase 1. Turkey Jerky is a perfect on-the-go snack for phase 2. For phase 3, opt for almonds and nuts.

You can munch these on-the-go snacks if you’re hungry or craving for something. The fibers and nutrients will keep your hunger at bay.

4. Shop at the Local Health-Food Store

As you wander around, make some time to stop by on local health-food stores and pick up the products you couldn’t pack your bags. You can buy spring water, hummus, deli meat, almond milk, etc.

If your room has a fridge, it’s even better as you get the chance to stack your foods and cook your favorite fast metabolism diet recipes! Plus, you’ll be helping promote the local farmer’s products and support small business too!

5. Rule out the Restaurants!

You will never go wrong with preparing you meals and snacks even when you’re traveling. We recommend you check the restaurants around the area and ask for their menu. In this way, you can plan what meals to order and eat as you arrive. You can read more about dining out in restaurants below.

Some, maybe most of us fret the thought of doing exercise because it connotes to a tiresome and laborious activity and aggravates the tiredness especially when we suffer Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). It’s a horrible feeling, right? Aside from that, our working schedules, unplanned appointments, and night-outs often got in our way, making us hard to stick to our exercise regimen.

If you found yourself seeking some motivation to get you into the mood of exercising, then the rising popularity of the augmented-reality game Pokémon GO – Niantic, Inc. is the one you might be waiting for!

It’s only been a few weeks since Pokémon GO was released in the United States, but it’s already been on the top of the most downloaded app more than Tinder. What makes this game unique is it promotes body coordination and activity. You get to exercise your legs as you search and capture some Pokemon! You get to be walking around and exercise while you’re enjoying playing the said game!

Let’s hear the positive and healthy remarks it garnered from its players:

Let’s guess 1,000,000 people played #PokemonGO the last 4 days and walked at least 1 mile a day. 153,000 marathons already! A health triumph

#PokemonGO has done more to get people moving in the past two days than the World Health Organisation has in sixty years — Abdul-Latif Halimi (@MrHalimi) July 10, 2016

Who knew jogging around campus would be a great way to stay in shape and become a Pokemon master? — Seth (@twobirds_1STONE) July 10, 2016

Who knew this one popular app game not only reminds you of your childhood memories with Ash and Pikachu, but it can also be your buddy in exercising and losing weight! If you haven’t already, try to download this game and see for yourself.

It is an universally accepted belief that doing cardio is the key to losing weight. We believe that eating very little next to nothing and torturing ourselves to run hundreds of miles per day will make us lose all the excess weight we carry. While it is true that cardio plays a vital part in losing weight, its just the tip of the iceberg.

Cardio have tons of awesome health benefits to our body yet it is not fully acknowledged because of so much misinformation lurking around the internet. Well, it’s time to start reassessing what you believe about cardio and eliminate them to work on an effective exercise regimen as you go on each phase of fast metabolism diet.

1. Cardio helps speed up weight loss

No matter how much you’re committed to working out, if your diet is not right, then you’ll have no chance of losing weight! In fast metabolism diet, you don’t need to workout 5 to 6 times per day.

Just exercising thrice a week (perform phase-specific exercise once a day in each phase) is enough as your workout regimen. We want your energy to focus more on healing your metabolism to get rid of the fats. And we can achieve that by correcting the food we eat.

Our main goal is to correct your dietary habits and lifestyle, so take more time in preparing your meal map while incorporating cardio activity during phase 1,

2. Cardio Intensity Workout Doesn’t Matter

The intensity of your exercise plays an important role in losing weight. In fact, the intensity of your workout can help you in keeping your workout regimen despite your hectic schedules. Intense cardio workouts drive you to exert more energy than necessary, thus burning more fats in the process in a small period of time. For those who have tight schedules, we recommend you do a quick, intense workout like 15-minute brisk walking, hiking, dancing, etc, as it can actually help you in losing weight more than you think so.

Note: Be mindful that even though we recommend quick, intense workout, your heart rate should remain between 120 to 150 beats per minute, depending on your fitness level and age. Here’s a helpful guide to finding your ideal fat-burning heart rate.

3. Don’t eat before Cardio

This is absolutely not true. If you’re exercising, your body needs energy in order to have the power to work ahead– in this case, burning up pesky fats for you to shed pounds. And the only way of getting that energy is through food.

If you attempt to exercise without eating something, in hopes that your body will burn stored fats to lose weight, that’s where you’re wrong. Your body will not burn those, instead, it will tear down and burn your muscles first in order to excrete energy, storing the fats further.

Why? It’s because your body is thinking that you’re into emergency mode. Since your body is not receiving any food, it will hold on to the fats to help your body survive for days without eating any foods. And this scenario is what we’re exactly avoiding for. We don’t want that happen, we want to burn those fats and build lean muscles. So we implemented the rule of eating within 30 minutes of waking.

Are you guilty of holding on to these myths? Start shifting your mindset now in order to perform your cardio exercise during phase 1 properly. Remember that cardio is not only about running. You can do brisk walking, mountain climbing, outdoor activities, etc. Get creative!